Beauty and Might: Heavenly Flames

Before Luo Ming could react, Li Yan had already crossed the distance separating them. Luo Ming instinctively slashed both daggers toward Li Yan’s chest.

Li Yan shifted his body slightly. The twin blades passed harmlessly by.

At the same moment, his sword moved.

Clang!

One dagger was knocked violently to the side. Before Luo Ming could recover, a second strike followed immediately.

Clang!

The remaining dagger flew from his hand, spinning through the air before embedding itself into the platform several meters away.

A wave of surprise spread among the spectators. The momentum of the battle had shifted completely.

Luo Ming immediately retreated, attempting to widen the distance between them.

Li Yan followed without hesitation. Darkness Qi gathered beneath his feet once more.

Darkflash Step.

One step. Then another.

Each burst of acceleration carried him directly into Luo Ming’s blind spots, never allowing him the opportunity to regain control of the battle.

Many disciples watched with wide eyes. Until today, most had only regarded Li Yan as an exceptional swordsman.

Some had just discovered his mastery of the spear.

Now—He displayed speed that rivaled Luo Ming’s greatest strength. Within only a few breaths, Luo Ming found himself driven to the edge of the platform.

His expression gradually became bitter. He already understood the outcome. Nevertheless, he refused to surrender.

Darkness Qi erupted around his body one final time as he gathered every remaining ounce of strength into a desperate counterattack.

Li Yan remained calm. His sword flashed once. The strike was simple.

Clean. Precise.

The condensed Darkness Qi shattered Luo Ming’s remaining Qi Armor with a crisp sound, then the blade stopped at his throat.

Silence settled across Arena Platform Nineteen.

The outcome was no longer in doubt.

After several breaths, Luo Ming let out a helpless sigh. ”I surrender.”

The supervising elder nodded before announcing calmly, ”Winner… Li Yan Tian.”

Applause immediately spread throughout the arena. This time, however, the discussions centered upon something entirely different.

Speed.

Many disciples had always believed Li Yan’s greatest strengths were his swordsmanship and combat experience.

Now they realized that his speed was equally astonishing.

Swordsmanship.

Spearmanship.

Movement technique.

Combat experience.

Technique mastery.

Each battle revealed another aspect of his abilities.

As Li Yan stepped down from the platform, many disciples found themselves wondering the same thing.

How much of his true strength had he actually revealed? And how much remained hidden?

Meanwhile, upon the elders’ platform, Shen Tao turned toward Ji Hong. ”Sect Leader,” he said thoughtfully, ”did you notice something unusual during Li Yan’s battle?”

Ji Hong nodded slowly. ”I did.” He paused briefly before continuing. ”If my guess is correct… Elder Shen is talking about the Training Rings, which Li Yan has been wearing.”

Shen Tao nodded as Han Yujie, the elder responsible for the Sect’s treasury, frowned slightly. ”That shouldn’t be possible,” he said. ”I have never sold any Training Rings to him.”

Before Ji Hong could reply, Cao Lian spoke with a faint smile. ”Then there is only one explanation.”

Her gaze remained fixed on Li Yan’s departing figure. ”The Goddess gave them to him.” She paused, then added, ”And judging by how he was hiding it until it appeared in today’s battle… they are likely part of his training.”

The surrounding elders nodded thoughtfully.

Ji Hong smiled faintly. ”The Goddess truly intends to nurture him into someone extraordinary.”

The remaining quarterfinal matches soon concluded one after another.

With that, the first day of the Annual Competition came to an end. The semifinalists of each rank had been decided.

Among the Azure-Rank disciples, the four semifinalists were Li Yan, Guo Ren, Sun Lei, and Cao Jian.

Of the four, Li Yan alone is at the Qi Channeling Realm (Stage-3). The other three are already at the Qi Channeling Realm (Stage-Peak).

*****

The following morning, the competition arena had already become lively long before the first match began.

Compared to the previous day, the atmosphere was noticeably different. The excitement remained, but it was now accompanied by tension. Only four disciples remained in each rank.

The semifinals.

Just one victory separated them from the championship match. Before long, Chen Zhi arrived above the arena once again.

After a brief announcement, the semifinal matches officially began.

For the Azure Rank, the first matchup immediately drew widespread attention.

Arena Platform Five.

Li Yan Tian vs Cao Jian.

A wave of discussion spread through the spectators.

Among the remaining Azure-Rank disciples, Cao Jian possessed one of the highest levels of cultivation, having already reached the Qi Channeling Realm (Stage-Peak). Unlike Luo Ming, who specialized in speed, or Zhao Hui, who relied upon refined spearmanship, Cao Jian walked an entirely different path.

Power.

Pure, overwhelming power.

His heavy blade techniques were well known throughout the Azure Rank. Every strike carried astonishing force, making them difficult to block and even harder to withstand. Many disciples regarded him as the strongest physically among those remaining in the competition.

Not long afterward, both participants stepped onto Arena Platform Five.

The discussions gradually subsided.

Cao Jian had long black hair and black eyes. He reached behind his back and drew his weapon.

A massive black heavy blade.

The weapon was nearly as tall as its owner, its broad blade resembling a slab of dark metal rather than an ordinary sword.

Standing opposite him, Li Yan carried only his usual sword. The contrast between the two was striking. One represented an overwhelming force. The other represented precision and control.

Cao Jian studied Li Yan quietly for a few moments before speaking. ”I watched every one of your matches yesterday.”

Li Yan smiled faintly. ”And?”

Cao Jian laughed. ”I still think my chances are better than theirs.”

Several nearby disciples chuckled.

The answer suited Cao Jian perfectly.

Li Yan nodded. ”Confidence is important.”

Cao Jian grinned. ”So is reality.”

The supervising elder soon stepped onto the platform. After confirming both participants were prepared, he raised one hand. ”Begin.”

The match started immediately.

Boom!

Cao Jian stepped forward and swung his heavy blade downward without the slightest hesitation. The enormous weapon tore through the air, producing a deep roar before it had even reached its target.

Li Yan calmly retreated. The heavy blade struck the platform with tremendous force. Stone fragments erupted in every direction. The platform trembled noticeably beneath the impact.

Several spectators unconsciously drew in a breath. Had such an attack landed directly, few Azure-Rank disciples would have remained standing.

Without pausing, Cao Jian launched another attack.

Then another.

Then another.

Despite the tremendous size of his weapon, every swing flowed naturally into the next. His sweeping attacks covered a wide area of the platform, leaving very little room for ordinary opponents to evade.

The pressure steadily increased.

Li Yan, however, remained completely composed. Whenever necessary, his sword intercepted the heavy blade.

When a direct clash offered no advantage, he simply stepped aside.

His movements remained calm.

Precise. Efficient.

Gradually, the battle evolved into a contest between overwhelming strength and flawless control.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Each collision echoed throughout the arena. Many disciples found themselves unconsciously comparing the two combat styles. At first glance, Cao Jian appeared to dominate the battlefield. Yet those watching carefully soon noticed something unusual.

Li Yan never appeared pressured. His breathing remained steady. His footwork never became disordered.

Every movement seemed effortless, as though he had already anticipated where each attack would land.

As the exchanges continued, Cao Jian gradually frowned. Something felt wrong.

Although he was attacking continuously, the rhythm of the battle did not feel like his. Every strike landed exactly where Li Yan wanted it to.

Instead of forcing Li Yan into unfavorable positions, he was being guided across the platform.

The realization made his expression increasingly serious.

Then, Li Yan moved. Darkness Qi gathered silently beneath his feet.

Umbral Step Art.

Darkflash Step.

His figure accelerated instantly. Cao Jian’s eyes narrowed. Before he could recover, Li Yan had already appeared beside him.

His sword flashed.

Cao Jian instinctively raised his heavy blade.

Clang!

The attack was blocked.

Almost at the same moment, Li Yan disappeared again. A second strike arrived from Cao Jian’s opposite side.

Then a third.

Then a fourth.

The spectators immediately understood what Li Yan was doing. Against Luo Ming, Umbral Step Art had allowed him to contend with extraordinary speed.

Against Cao Jian, it exposed the weakness of a heavy weapon. Powerful though it was, every swing required slightly more time to recover.

Li Yan targeted that brief interval. Little by little, the momentum shifted. For the first time since the battle began, Cao Jian found himself forced onto the defensive.

The spectators watched silently. Even several elders leaned forward slightly. The battle had become far more technical than anyone had expected.

Suddenly, Cao Jian let out a deep roar. Darkness Qi erupted from his body. His aura surged dramatically. Without hesitation, he unleashed his strongest blade technique.

The massive weapon swept across the platform with overwhelming force, carrying enough power to cover nearly the entire battlefield.

Several disciples gasped. To many of them, there seemed to be nowhere left to evade.

Li Yan remained perfectly calm. Darkness Qi gathered beneath his feet once more.

Darkflash Step.

His figure blurred.

With a single movement, he escaped the strongest area of the attack. Almost simultaneously, Darkness Qi condensed along his sword.

Shadow Fang Severance.

A crescent-shaped slash shot forward.

Its timing was impeccable.

The attack met Cao Jian’s technique at the precise instant his heavy blade completed its swing.

Boom!

The collision sent a powerful shockwave across the platform. Dust and shattered stone filled the air. By the time everything had settled, Cao Jian had already been forced to take three steps back.

The Darkness Qi surrounding his body fluctuated violently. Before he could regain his balance, Li Yan was already standing before him.

The tip of his sword rested against Cao Jian’s throat. Silence descended across Arena Platform Five.

Cao Jian looked at the sword. Then at Li Yan. After several breaths, he released a helpless sigh. ”I lost.”

The supervising elder nodded before announcing the result. ”Winner, Li Yan Tian.”

Thunderous applause swept across the arena. The first finalist of the Azure Rank had been decided.

Once again—Li Yan advanced.

As he stepped down from the platform, countless gazes followed him because everyone understood what awaited next.

The championship match.

The entire arena remained lively after the semifinal matches concluded. Yet beneath the excitement, anticipation continued to build.

Only two matches remained for each of the four ranks—the championship match and the match to determine third place.

Before the day ended, the strongest disciples of the White, Yellow, Azure, and Brown Ranks would all be decided.

At the very center of the arena stood the largest battle platform.

Arena Platform One.

The stage was reserved exclusively for the championship matches.

The White-Rank Final began first.

Disciples fixed their attention upon the platform as the two finalists exchanged fierce attacks. Neither side showed any intention of yielding, and after an intense battle, the victor was finally decided.

Zhong Li.

The young disciple who had entered the Shadow Haven Sect on the same day as Li Yan had become this year’s White-Rank Champion.

During the past year, Zhong Li had already reached the Qi Gathering Realm (Stage-Peak). Yet instead of advancing immediately, he had deliberately held back his breakthrough, waiting for the Annual Competition to conclude first.

His patience had been rewarded.

Warm applause echoed throughout the arena.

Li Yan watched quietly before shifting his attention inward.

Within his Spiritual Consciousness, Yan Tian’s soul remained seated peacefully, observing the competition from beginning to end without missing a single match. As Zhong Li stood proudly upon the platform, a genuine smile appeared on Yan Tian’s face.

Li Yan smiled faintly. ”Are you happy to see your friend become the White-Rank Champion?”

Yan Tian nodded without hesitation. ”Yes.” His voice carried sincere happiness. ”I’m happy to see him growing stronger.”

Li Yan gave a slight nod before shifting his focus back to the competition.

Not long afterward, the Yellow-Rank Championship also came to an end.

The champion was Yi Qin, a sixteen-year-old female disciple whose performance throughout the competition had earned the recognition of both elders and disciples alike.

Another wave of applause swept across the arena.

Soon, Chen Zhi stepped forward once more.

His voice, amplified by Qi, carried clearly throughout the stadium. ”The Azure-Rank Championship Match shall now begin.”

The discussions throughout the arena gradually subsided.

Immediately, two figures stepped onto Arena Platform One.

Li Yan and Sun Lei.